James Blake’s ‘Assume Form’ Is The Coexistence Of Personal And Professional Betterment

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Remember post-dubstep? That was the tag on James Blake when he emerged in the early part of this decade, combining plaintive piano ballads with oppressive bass, resulting in a sound that was instantly his own. At the time, Blake thought of himself as part of the electronic scene, and found naysayers galore, most memorably Portishead’s Geoff Barrow, who infamously tweeted, “Will this decade be remembered as the dubstep meets pub singer years?” Spoiler alert: This decade will not be remembered that way, and even just eight years after these comments, the whole idea of James Blake’s emergence ruffling feathers feels like a time capsule dug up to reveal tattered baseball cards and old love letters. It’s not who we were, and it’s certainly not who we are.

No, James Blake has evolved past that easy distinction. In fact, he has evolved past all easy distinctions. Even last year, when Pitchfork wrote about Blake’s “sad boy” brand upon the release of “Don’t Miss It,” Blake took to social media to clap back, confronting the criticism of “sad boy” as “problematic and unhealthy,” while questioning the double standards that men are held to with regards to expressing their emotions. “Please don’t allow people who fear their own feelings to ever subliminally shame you out of getting anything off your chest, or identifying with music that helps you,” he wrote. “There is no great victory in machismo and bravado in the end. The road to mental health and happiness, which I feel so passionately about, is paved with honesty.”

Less than a year later, even razor ads are supporting Blake’s stance. But interestingly, Blake’s fourth career album turns firmly away from the idea of sadness, without majorly altering the aesthetic that fans have come to expect. Blake’s Assume Form is still emotionally forthcoming, but those emotions are full of love and hope, thanks to his current romance with The Good Place‘s Jameela Jamil. And this isn’t just some super-couple gossip. Blake literally took to Twitter to say “you are the reason this album exists” to her, and she responded with a virtual bow. Anyone that follows Jamil on social media knows that the British actress is outspoken about body shaming and the media’s portrayal of women, to which Blake’s comments about mental health seem to find unity within progressive couple goals.

It’s fitting then that the first words on the album are “now I’m confiding,” with Blake quickly explaining that the album represents a change for him on the title track. “Gone through the motions my whole life / I hope this is the first day / That I connect motion to feeling” he continues on the song that is very much about the therapeutic value of being comfortable in your own skin and open about your innermost thoughts. And throughout it all, the “her” is there for support and inspiration, as essential as the air that is breathed or the water that is drunk. For Blake, love is another element that gives him life, and that allows him to fulfill his own potential.